Mavericks third baseman Tyler Vanneste is ready to get the 2025 WCBL season underway. The returning vet expects this will be his last summer playing in Medicine Hat. The Mavericks kicked off the season Wednesday night playing host to the visiting Okotoks Dawgs.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Calling it his farewell tour, third-baseman Tyler Vanneste is entering his third, and likely final year with the Medicine Hat Mavericks, but says he is looking forward to the 2025 WCBL season as the Mavs hosted the visiting three-time champion Okotoks Dawgs on Wednesday night.
Vanneste is one of 10 of the Mavs’ 12 position players returning from last season, and recently wrapped up a season of baseball at Cal State San Bernardino, an NCAA Division II School, where he played infield and second base.
The Mavs are fresh off a three-day mini training camp that began Sunday prior to the beginning of the season. Under new head coach Jonathon Thornhill, who comes to the Hat with coaching experience in both California and North Dakota, the short camp focused on team building and bonding among players.
“Lots of the guys are here at 10 a.m. and we’re here together until 8 p.m. just hanging out outside of baseball,” said Vanneste. “I think that helps a lot of guys get to know each other, obviously the mini camp does too, seeing everyone on the field and getting to meet all the guys and see where they’re from, and what position they play. I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far.”
The brief training camp also allowed returning players to reunite following seasons at college baseball clubs in Canada and the U.S.
“Obviously Jaden Babiuk, all the Vulcanos, Evan Morrison, Micah (Dvorak) was here last year, Ryan Dexter, like there’s a bunch of returners and we’re all pretty good buddies so that obviously helps bring back kind of a leadership group,” said Vanneste.
Following the training camp Vanneste says he is confident about the new talent on the roster wearing red, white and black after working with the team’s new prospects.
“I think we got a lot of new good guys in and a good returning group, so I want to just put it together and go beat some of these teams out here.”
Thornhill says it’s been a positive start following training camp and noted the importance of his veteran core who are ready to lead the Mavs this season, and says Vanneste is one of the team’s silent leaders.
“Vanneste is a quiet leader,” explains Thornhill, who says the veteran enjoys the occasional chirping with his teammates. “He’ll start at third (Wednesday), bat three for us, and he’ll be a key piece just like a lot of these guys. We talked about it yesterday when talking about the lineup, that we’re going to kind of mingle everybody in, there’s 13 position guys, everybody’s going to get some opportunities.”
And hopefully make some big plays in front of a passionate Mavricks fanbase.
“I mean, when this place is bumping, it’s the best stadium in the league,” said Vanneste. “We feed off that energy and keep that going, I mean, everyone wants to see this place filled up with our fans, so it makes it exciting for sure.”
